1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, more particularly to a connector having a distortion preventing structure for preventing deformation of both a pin terminal and a resilient contact tongue of a receptacle terminal mounted in the connector when the pin terminal is inserted into the receptacle terminal to make contact with the resilient contact tongue.
2. Prior Art
There has been proposed a receptacle terminal having a distortion preventing structure in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. 61-117,470, which is shown in FIG. 9. The distortion preventing structure includes a protection/guide piece 62 and a resilient pinching inner strip 63 (FIG. 10). The guide piece 62 is formed continuously from a fore end portion of a rectangular hollow beam shaped, electrical connection portion 61 that composes the receptacle terminal.
The receptacle terminal 60 is received in a connector housing 64 of a connector 66 and a pin terminal 65 is received in an opposed connector housing (not shown) of an associated opposed connector (not shown). Engagement of the connector 66 with the associated connector connects electrically the resilient pinching strip 63 of the receptacle terminal 60 to the pin terminal 65. Even when the associated connector is opposed to the connector 66 incorrectly in a slating direction during their mating, the guide piece 62 of the receptacle terminal 60 can correct the insertion direction of the pin terminal 65.
However, the receptacle terminal 60 has a complicated configuration which requires an increased manufacturing cost. Furthermore, a smaller receptacle terminal 60 provides a thinner guide piece 62 that is reduced in strength. The pin terminal 65 may deform the thinner guide piece 62 when the connector 66 is engaged with the associated connector incorrectly in a slanting direction so that the pin terminal 65 is forcedly inserted into the receptacle terminal 60. This possibly causes the pin terminal 65 to abut against the resilient pinching strip 63 to undesirably distort (or deform) the resilient pinching strip 63.
Furthermore, there has been also proposed another receptacle terminal having a distortion preventing structure in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. H. 5-53,146, which is shown in FIG. 11.
The distortion preventing structure includes a pair of extending tabs 72 and an inner resilient contact tongue 73 (FIG. 12). Each extending tab 72 is formed continuously from a fore end portion of an electrical connection portion 71 that composes the receptacle terminal 70. The extending tab 72 covers a lower half of the fore end opening of the receptacle terminal 70. Engagement of a connector 74 accommodating the receptacle terminal 70 with an opposed associated connector (not shown) connects electrically the resilient contact tongue 73 of the receptacle terminal 70 to the pin terminal 75.
Even when the associated connector is opposed to the connector 74 incorrectly in a slanting direction during their mating, the extending tabs 72 of the receptacle terminal 70 can correct the insertion direction of the pin terminal 75.
However, the extending tabs 72 can correct the insertion direction of the pin terminal 75 that has been inserted into the receptacle terminal 70 in a slanting direction only when the slanting angle is within a small range. That is, the correctable initial insertion angle of the pin terminal 75 is limited in a small range because the extending tab 72 has a small thickness s that is usually the same as that of the receptacle terminal 70.